Cold Lakes (Nevada) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cold Lakes |
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Location | Ruby Mountains, Elko County, Nevada |
Coordinates | 40°42′54″N 115°18′06″W / 40.71500°N 115.30167°W |
Type | tarns |
Basin countries | United States |
Surface area | 7.4 acres (3.0 ha) |
Max. depth | 28 ft (8.5 m) |
Surface elevation | 9,880 ft (3,010 m) |
The Cold Lakes are two beautiful lakes found high up in the Ruby Mountains in Nevada, a state in the western United States. These lakes are special because they are "glacial tarns," which means they were formed by glaciers a very long time ago. They are located in Elko County, in the northeastern part of Nevada.
About Cold Lakes
Cold Lakes are nestled at the very top of a place called Cold Creek Canyon. They sit at a high elevation of about 9,880 feet (or 3,011 meters) above sea level. Imagine being almost two miles up in the air!
Size and Depth
Together, these two lakes cover an area of about 7.4 acres (which is about 3 hectares). To give you an idea, one acre is roughly the size of a football field without the end zones. The lakes are also quite deep, reaching down to about 28 feet (or 8.5 meters) at their deepest point. That's like stacking two giraffes on top of each other!
Water Flow
The water from Cold Lakes is very important because it's one of the main starting points for Cold Creek. This creek flows down from the mountains and eventually joins a bigger river called the Humboldt River. Along its journey, Cold Creek also passes through a smaller body of water known as Lake Phyllis reservoir. This shows how water from high in the mountains can travel far and connect to larger river systems.